


Home for the Holidays

by Lumeleo



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Happy Ending, Missing in Action, Multi, Returning Home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 17:33:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17146052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: Dino can't quite enjoy the holiday party, not with Kyouya gone. However, he might still get a Christmas miracle.





	Home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [asario](https://archiveofourown.org/users/asario/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, darling!

For the first time in years, Dino found his smile souring long before the holiday party was over.

This was usually his favourite day of the year, full of cheer and people and socializing. Ever since he had managed to get the family finances to a point where it was feasible, he had done his best to put on a lovely party for his family and allies, and his place was in the center of it all.

Last year had been particularly delightful, as he had at last officially introduced his lovers as such to the mafia society. It had been a risky move, and one Dino knew very well he was only allowed due to his position. For all their illicit activities, the mafia still held certain things as untenable. Having a male lover was a scandal, while openly having two would no doubt have been a death sentence for anyone who didn’t have the security of being Don Cavallone.

This year was… different. This time there were no grand announcements, no scandalous whispers, and those who had found it completely unacceptable to attend a party hosted by a known sodomite had found excuses to decline his invitation in ways that did not call for retaliation. On the other hand, there was no Squalo shining at his arm and enjoying the chance to piss off basically everyone just by existing, no Kyouya scowling and looking for the first excuse to leave the crowd behind.

Oh, god. Kyouya.

Dino had somehow managed to keep a smile on his face so far, but now he found it slipping, too emotionally exhausted to keep up the front. Perhaps it was unseemly for a don, but he had used up the last of his strength. He couldn’t keep doing small talk and dancing with the most forward guests, not when his eyes kept drifting to the entrances as though looking for an arrival that would never happen.

There were fewer hopeful parents trying to offer up their single daughters to him than before, no doubt discouraged by the rumors and the brief appearance of Squalo at his arm at the beginning of the party. A few still tried, of course, determined to try out the beauty of their offspring against his unfortunate orientation. One particularly enterprising donna did her best to talk up her son to him, a vain effort that nevertheless earned her some points in Dino’s eyes. Opportunistic or not, clearly she was willing to forgo the more traditional morals of the mafia for the sake of winning his favor, and he had not gotten to his position by turning away potential allies.

He couldn’t see Squalo anywhere, for all that the long silver hair should have been quite easy to spot even in a crowd. No doubt he had escaped the duties of socializing in favor of some peace and quiet. Dino certainly would have hoped to join him if he hadn’t been the actual host and thus obligated to stick around.

His first clue that something was going on was the sight of Romario making his way through the crowd. His second-in-command was as unflappable as ever, showing no emotion even as he reached Dino’s side.

“Boss?” Romario’s voice was level, betraying nothing. “Squalo left the grounds a moment ago. I don’t believe there is cause to worry, just figured you’d like to know.”

“Right. Thanks.” Dino sighed. He ached to be with Squalo at least, finding some comfort from the presence of his remaining partner. Even so, it was for the best to allow at least one of them to get away from it all. “Let me know if he gets back.” If that happened he would call it a night, the party be damned.

“Will do, Boss.” Romario moved as though to leave, then paused. “…Boss. If you’re not feeling well…” He let the rest of the statement hang in the air, suggesting without actually saying anything.

“I’ll be fine.” Perhaps his smile would be false and his eyes tired, but for now, he could at least hold the illusion of normalcy for another moment.

Kyouya had been missing for three weeks, four days, and seven hours now, not that Dino was counting. It wasn’t like Kyouya’s usual disappearances, where he dropped all contact for a while to gather himself before facing the rest of the world again. Kyouya had been speaking to Squalo, updating him on the progress of Kyouya’s mission. It should have been a simple job, in and out and back home by nightfall, utterly trivial for someone of Kyouya’s skill level. Instead there had been communication cut short, and fire and carnage when a concerned Squalo had rushed in to find him. Kyouya had been nowhere to be found, which had been a blessing and a curse all in one.

They were getting closer to three weeks, four days and eight hours, now. Far, far too long to be in the dark about where one half of his heart had gone, while watching the other half drive himself to madness trying to crack the mystery.

Dino did not take in anything that happened after he spoke with Romario, putting himself on autopilot simply to keep himself from breaking apart. He just had to get through tonight, and then he could shatter in Squalo’s arms. Well, once Squalo had returned, he could.

For all that he was doing his best not to think about anything, he was instantly drawn out of his fugue by a familiar sound that caught his attention even over the din of the party. A familiar sound that was soon accompanied by the equally familiar sight of a tiny yellow bird flying over the crowd, no less.

“Hibird?” Dino started pushing his way through the crowd, ignoring the fact that Hibird could clearly reach him much easier. Even if it only bought him some seconds, he had to get to Hibird as soon as possible.

“Dino, Dino!” Hibird made a joyful loop before landing on his hair. “Home, Hibari home!”

That was all he needed to hear to rush off. It might not have been terribly polite, but Romario would handle things. This was far more important than any chats he might not have had just yet.

Hibird flew off ahead of him, leaving the grand ballroom and heading to the more private areas of the Cavallone estate. Dino was not surprised to find it flying towards their private rooms, nor by the sight of Squalo’s coat thrown over an armchair, still wet from the rain outside. Of course. Of course that would be why Squalo had left without even saying anything.

Dino threw the door to the master bedroom open. Squalo was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on the motionless figure on the bed. Kyouya was lying there, Kyouya was home, pale and wounded but wonderfully, blessfully alive.

“Squalo?” Dino couldn’t choke out more than a whisper, his voice caught in his throat. “He’s… how?”

“Got a call earlier.” Squalo didn’t look at him, didn’t even glance away from Kyouya’s sleeping form. There was a hint of softness to his gaze, the sort that he didn’t often show even to the two of them. “The crafty bastard had memorized my private number. He’s in pretty bad shape, but he’s had worse. Besides, I already called a doctor.”

“Right. That’s — that’s good.” Dino stumbled closer, not entirely sure this wasn’t just a strange dream. This felt real, though, the barely suppressed emotion in Squalo’s voice, the soft chirps of Hibird as it flew over to Kyouya’s pillow, the bruises and hasty bandages covering Kyouya’s pale skin. “What…”

“Not sure yet. He basically passed out the moment I found him, so haven’t exactly gotten the full story out of him yet. Couldn’t see anyone nearby, though, and he’d gotten pretty close to the estate before he couldn’t get further. Seems to me he settled whatever was wrong and then headed home.”

“That does sound like Kyouya.” Not calling for help earlier, for one thing. Or had he not been able to? “God, I’ve been so scared…”

“I know.” Which was the closest thing to an agreement he would ever get from Squalo. “He’s home, though. He’s home, and he’s alive, and he managed to miss the party on top of it all.”

“Hush. He might hear you and get ideas.” Even so, Dino couldn’t help but give a teary chuckle as he fell to his knees next to the bed, reaching over to grasp Kyouya’s arm. It was warm, warm and firm and real. “Welcome home, Kyouya. Merry Christmas.”

Perhaps, finally, it actually could be merry.


End file.
